The Fourth of July
by rennieMc
Summary: My take on House and Cuddy's first time together. Some spoilers for season 5 and a wee attempt at smutiness. Not too sure of the House timeline then again don't think the show writers are either...!


Note: the smut part is brief cos I've never written it before but hopefully it gets the point across :)

The Fourth of July

"I can't believe you don't have better things to do on the fourth of July then hang out in a psych hospital" House told Wilson as he entered the patient's lounge at Mayfield.

"What can I say, I like mixin it up. Am I interrupting?" Wilson asked, addressing House's companions as they sat around a coffee table,

"I'm teaching my fellow nut jobs how to play poker with jelly beans. You in?" House turned back to his companions and told them "Don't worry, he's a normie but we can trust him. This is Chloe Baxter and Carlos. Baxter, Carlos this is Wilson"

"I'm a cutter" Chloe told Wilson holding out her hand to greet him.

"Be careful he might find start to find you attractive"

"Cuddy asked me to give you this" Wilson told House as he sat down beside them, passing him a small envelope.

"Whose Cuddy?" Carlos asked curiously

"Our boss" Wilson informed him.

"Is this the woman you're hot for?"

"You know nothing about it, Crazy"

"House, if strangers know about her, maybe you should stop deflecting" Wilson stated

"I have a new shrink now. You're only required for delivering gossip like the girl you are. It's light enough to be my pink slip" House said thoughtfully, acknowledging the weight of the envelope he had been handed.

"She's not firing you" Wilson said "It was a reaction to you being a jerk to her"

"Which you encouraged" House accused before opening up the envelope curiously. Inside it, he noticed it was a small card with Van Gogh painting on the front with the words "_Thinking of you...Happy 4th of July x_" on the inside. House smiled to himself as he re-read the words.

"What is it?" he heard Wilson ask as he continued to read Cuddy's handwriting.

"It's personal" House told him.

"Too personal for me?" Wilson asked surprised and curious, he leant over and noticed the words "She didn't send me a Happy 4th of July card."

"Aw little Jimmy's jealous. Don't worry; when you get put in the loony bin you might get special treatment too." Wilson frowned at his friend's deflection before curiosity got the better of him asking "So what makes it personal?"

House thought carefully, reluctant to reveal too much of his Cuddy related personal history since they had kept it between themselves for so long. But a part of him did want to talk about her, to validate his time with her. He looked at Wilson and sighed "Remember that party you were having with Second Wife-"

"Bonnie" Wilson corrected, rolling his eyes

"Bonnie" House continued "It was for the fourth of July about 15 years ago. I told you I had a better offer...?"

"Vaguely. I probably assumed you were lying or there was some girl invol..."

"Her name was Lisa"

"Little Lisa Cuddy, all grown up" House stated loudly in the lobby of St. Michaels Hospital New Jersey where he had been employed for around 6 months. She smiled at him confidently, her eyes sparkling, seeming genuinely pleased to see him. It was now 1993, and 5 years had passed since they had been at college together.

"Greg House. Thought you were at Columbus"

"We parted company. Difference of opinion"

"They fired you huh?" she stated, knowingly.

"Little bit. You're not shocked?"

"Not especially. I have first hand knowledge of you, remember?"

"Of course. How could I forget my little groupie" he gave her an exaggerated wink

"You wish" she laughed walking away, wiggling her hips as she did so. He watched her, smiling to himself, glad that she was the one the hospital had chosen to do a week long residency and remembering she was the one that had got away...

"So what seems to be the problem?" House asked entering the room of the clinic where Cuddy was waiting with her patient having asked House to give her consult, on her last day as a resident at the hospital.

"This student nurse seems to think I'm crazy and wants to run tests on me" The woman informed House angrily while glaring at Cuddy.

"First of all I'm not a student nurse I'm a doctor and secondly your family are concerned about you. The tests are routine and might actually help" Cuddy replied defensively.

"I've told her I just need some anti anxiety medication" the patient insisted, ignoring Cuddy and instead aiming her protests at House.

"Interesting" House murmured as he looked over the patient's file. "It doesn't seem to say which medical school you graduated from on your personal information"

"I didn't go to medical school" the patient replied, confused.

"Well we did. Therefore our combined knowledge of this stuff kicks your ass"

"You can't speak to me like that! You know nothing about me"

"I do know that despite her age Dr Cuddy knows a lot more about _endocrine _cases then you and if she thinks you might be one then she's most probably right. Let her run her tests"

"And why should I listen to you?"

"Cos I'm a doctor. Much like the kind of one who diagnosed your husband's high cholesterol" House stated, nodding towards the man standing quietly beside the clinic patient.

"How do you know..."

"Yellowy circles around the eyes, dead give away. Let her run her tests" House stated, making his exit before he and Cuddy exchanged a look of mutual irritation regarding the patient. She mouthed 'thank you' to him appreciatively.

Cuddy entered the locked room later that evening to find House sitting on a bench in there "You're still here?" she asked him curiously,

"Uh huh just can't get enough" he replied sarcastically, tying up the laces on his sneakers.

"You don't have parties to go to? Its Fourth of July"

"Overrated holiday" he told her, dismissively "My idea of a good time doesn't involve hanging out with my friend and his boring wife and _her_ boring friends"

She smiled and rolled her eyes a little. "Always so selfless"

"What about you?" he asked her.

"Um some friends of mine are gonna be in New York, they asked me to meet them"

"Sounds fun"

"I don't think I'm going" she told him with a shrug.

"Why not? Its still early"

"I don't feel like it. Its been a long week"

He narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "Who are you avoiding?"

"Who says I'm avoiding anyone?" she asked him innocently, forgetting Greg House's ability to analyse people.

"The Lisa Cuddy I know wouldn't turn down a chance to party"

"I don't know what you're talking about" Lisa replied feeling herself blush a little, flattered that he remembered her as more then just the girl he sat next to in class.

"Come on Lisa. The last time I saw you was when you crashed Cindy Michaels graduation party. I had to walk you back to your dorm before that guy Simmons tried to jump you"

She furrowed her eyebrows a little, preparing to defend herself when she suddenly remembered that night in vague drunken flashbacks."Oh God, did I try to kiss you before I passed out?" she asked him, silently mortified.

"Kind of. Its OK. I happen to be a sucker for drunk college girls"

"Well I've grown up now" she confirmed, proudly.

"Shame"

Lisa laughed a little before attempting to change the subject. "Thanks for helping me with my patient earlier I appreciate it"

"Well I figured I owed you since I cheated off of you in class so often" He went in to his locker and pulled out a bottle of bourbon, holding out a plastic beaker to her "You want some?"

"You have alcohol in your locker?" she asked him, sounding surprised even though a part of her didn't expect anything less from him.

"I use it to seduce young, impressionable residents" he informed her with a smirk

"That better be a joke"

"Its useful for when my friend wants to bore me about his sucky marriage" he looked at her, his blue twinkling, persuasive. "Come on Lise its the Fourth of July after all"

She thought this over, the party girl that she had manage to suppress all year in an attempt to focus on her studies was threatening to rear her head "OK. Why not?"

"Good girl" he said with a smile, whilst her inner feminist hated her for enjoying that little comment.

"So who you avoiding? Some guy trying to get into your pants?" House asked, as he poured her drink out and she straddled the bench opposite him.

"Ha yeah right" she realised she had said this a little too quickly and she could sense him analysing her again.

"I'm intrigued" he said, confirming her thoughts "You can trust me you know"

She sighed, looking into his eyes, convinced he was manipulating her but continued anyway. "You're a guy" she stated.

"Was the last time I looked"

"Do you think it's weird that..." she heard herself talking and shook her head "you know what, forget it"

"No go on" House insisted.

"Forget it. You're gonna mock me"

"Would I?" he smiled at her, his curiosity of her overwhelming him

"Do you think its weird that the girl is more interested in...the stuff then the guy?" Lisa felt herself blushing, instantly regretting asking this man of all men about personal matters.

"What do you mean? He can't get it up?" House asked.

"No!" she exclaimed, shocked at his bluntness.

"Can't _keep _it up?"

"I...I don't think so"

"Well then he must be gay or in a cult"

"What a smart deduction" she stated sarcastically.

"What? You're a smart girl with a hot body what other reasons could he have?"

"He's...he's just respectful of my feelings that's all. I knew I shouldn't have asked you"

"You're frustrated and he's not respecting that. Dump the loser"

"Thanks for your advice" she sighed standing up from the bench and walking over to her locker. If she was being honest with herself, she knew she should dump Michael. They had been seeing each other for a few weeks and he still insisted on being a gentleman, refusing to distract her during her important studies, even though at this point it was what she needed. But she had given him the benefit of the doubt because he was kind and smart, a good catch. All her friends thought so, still though it wasn't enough for her. She _needed_ somebody to distract her.

"So when was the last time?" he suddenly blurted out, breaking through her thoughts.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm guessing 6-9 months"

"That...that is none of your business" Lisa felt the frustration- sexual and otherwise- coursing through her as she yelled at him.

"You're getting all flustered" he told her, continuing to push her buttons, in the way only Greg House could.

"Cos you're being completely inappropriate" she responded, accusingly.

"You brought up the subject of sex. Women who look like you can't do that in a non appealing way to the opposite sex"

"I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted"

"Oh you know" House said with a smirk, watching her getting annoyed.

"I'm going to take a shower and go home" she informed him, intending to end this little game.

"Need some help scrubbing your back?"

"You're such a perv"

"I think you secretly like that about me"

"_And_ you're vain. You think you can just flash your pretty blue eyes at me and I'll be putty in your..." Suddenly he grabbed her and kissed her passionately, pulling her closer to his body and running her fingers through her hair. His tongue momentarily tangled with hers before he pulled away. Lisa opened her eyes and stared up at him, her heart pounding in her chest. "What was that for?" she asked him breathlessly.

"Quickest way I could get you to shut up. Plus I thought you'd taste good. I was right"

"I should slap you" she told him, finding it difficult to convince either of them as her body and hormones were currently in the process of betraying the logical part of her mind

"Probably" he said with a shrug. He looked into her eyes "It was good to see you again, Partypants. Enjoy your summer"

Lisa watched him walking away and was suddenly a hormonal 19 year old again with a strong sexual yearning for this crazy guy she never got to be with at college."Um Greg" she said softly, not entirely sure what she was playing at, but continuing anyway "How much trouble would we be in if we...if I did let you scrub my back?" she looked at him, her greeny-grey eyes widening in anticipation as she bit her bottom lip nervously.

"I think some things are worth the risk" he told her with a smirk...

House watched as Lisa Cuddy stripped off each item one at time until she's stood in just her underwear, he can feel himself becoming increasingly aroused. She turned to him and smiled ,liking the way he stared at her. It was nice to feel desired. She unhooked her bra and let it drop to the floor his eyes nearly pop out of his head as he took her in.

"Are you gonna get naked too or are you just gonna watch me strip?" she asked him taking herself by surprise at how confident she sounded. She was out of practise and worried she was getting a little ahead of herself. He smirked at her and pulled his shirt off, starting to walk her backwards toward the shower. She swallowed a little nervously before leaning up to him and kissing him firmly wrapping her arms around him and gasping into his mouth as he gently placed his hands inside the waistband of her panties and tugged in an attempt to remove them.

"We need these off we're showering" he told her, gently but persuasively.

"I got it"

She took them off and stepped inside the shower, turning on the warm water. She watched as he unbuckled his pants and dropped them followed by his underwear. Her eyes widened as he approached her, intimidated by his build, strength, impressive manhood. She was overcome by lust and desire as he pushed her against the shower wall kissing her forcefully, caressing her body with his warm hands. She moaned into his mouth as he ran his fingertips over her breasts rubbing her nipples. He pulled his lips from hers and smiled at her before bending down and running his tongue over each nipple, listening carefully to her little sighs and moans. He abandoned her body momentarily to reach for a wash cloth before covering it in soap and running it over her body, down her taut stomach and finally towards her thighs.

"Part them for me" he said in a low tone. She did as she was told and couldn't stop the moaning as he rubbed her in to a frenzy. He loved watching her come undone in front of him, because of him. He dropped the wash cloth and inserted a finger inside her whilst rubbing her clit with his thumb leaning in and licking the warm water off her breasts. "You're really hot Lisa Cuddy"he whispered to her, his erection pressed against her insistently. She rubbed him up and down, in an attempt to reciprocate her arousal as he groaned in appreciation, reaching down to stroke her thigh before lifting it and wrapping it around his waist. She looked up at him nervously, holding on to his biceps tightly. He brushed his lips against hers pushing her firmly against the shower wall, gripping the rail with his left hand, as the warm water dripped down their bodies. Noticing her uneasily staring at him he locked his eyes with hers and told her: "Trust me." She nodded and gasped as she felt him enter her, thrusting agonisingly slowly in and out of her. She held on to him tightly as he fucked her expertly against the shower wall, bringing her to orgasm quicker then she expected, shortly before he followed her over the edge, grunting her name as he did so.

"God...Greg...I...why haven't we done that before?" she managed to say, sighing as he pulled out of her, letting go of her gently so she wouldn't slip. He leaned in to kiss the top of her head as she lay her head against his chest sleepily. "We're both stubborn idiots" he confirmed with a smile

"Well best 4th of July I've had" he told her smugly, as he stepped out of the shower shortly after, watching Lisa dry her hair off. She smiled at him in response "Yeah you're pretty good" she told him, as the welcome endorphins continued to engulf her body.

"You know, my bed is lot more comfortable then this cubicle or do you need to be somewhere else?" he asked her while they continued dressing. He was convinced she was teasing him as she slowly pulled her long black socks over her knees. "Not going on vacation til tomorrow lunch time" she told him with a seductive smile. He grinned at her "Let's get out of here."

Lisa Cuddy spent the rest of the night at House's apartment, mainly making hot sweaty, passionate love before taking off for Florida the next day for her vacation. She didn't know whether they would see each other again. The guilt of cheating on her sort-of boyfriend was starting to sink in and Greg was always going to be a bad influence. She wanted to focus on her career, having worked too hard to throw that away on a guy, even if that guy was Greg House, _the_ Greg House. That one night he gave her everything she wanted and that was enough to satisfy her and stay with her for the next 15 years...

"I can't believe you never told me about this before. I mean I always figured you two had, you know, been close but-" Wilson said, surprised at how House had managed to keep this from all this time.

"I don't always kiss and tell" House told his friend with a smile before asking him softly "So...is she OK?"

"She's OK. She keeps asking about you. You should let her visit"

"I don't want her to see me in this place" House said quietly

"You're gonna have to face her sooner or later" Wilson insisted.

"Yeah I guess"

"She's at her parent's beach house in-

"Florida... I remember" House stated, thinking back nostalgically.

"I'll tell her to call when she gets back"

"What am I gonna say to her?" House asked exasperated, nervous at the mere thought of speaking to her again "Hi remember me? I'm that crazy jerk who had imaginary sex with you then made you cry?"

"You'll think of something" Wilson told his friend, confidently. "I think she just wants you back to what passes for normal. "House thought about this, looking back at the card, re-reading her words before turning back to his companions at the table "So shouldn't we be starting this poker game now?"

In Florida, Cuddy sat on the porch of the beach house stroking Rachel's hair as she lay sleeping on Cuddy's lap. She thought about House and the Fourth of July and smiled to herself, as her mind drifted back to 1993.


End file.
